High Desert Racing Association’s, (HDRA) “Rockin on the River” race held Nov. 9-11 in Laughlin, Nevada will cover 16.5 miles each lap on a unique course that hits every feature that racers and fans have come to love in Laughlin. Racers will cross Needles Highway and head out into the hills before jumping the big road-crossing coming back in. The high school jumps are there and the moon bumps will be run downhill. Gravity will be pushing them even faster through the bumps so picking the right line will be more critical than having big horsepower; a move that will add even more excitement in the limited classes. “We made sure the course would be as fun and challenging as possible,” said Robert Gross of HDRA, “We designed it to take in everything possible and added a few more surprises of our own.”

Several tough points battles will be settled at the race. Mike Mitchell will be going for three wins in a row and the Class 1 title. Josh Quintero looks to wrap up the Class 7 championship after three straight wins. Brandon Arthur will be putting the final stamp on his Class 1400 title and racing his new Open Truck that he will compete in next season.

Primm, NV – The High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) put together another incredible event; this time a long course night race at Primm, Nevada. Each lap of the Dusk til Dawn 250 was more than 50 miles long allowing the teams to open it up under the stars.

The darkness was no match for Brandon Arthur who’s bright yellow HRT Motorsports, Competitive Metals, Ford F-100 lit up the course with consistent fast laps and his Rigid Industries, LED lightbar. With no prerunning allowed and days of monsoon rains before the race, unexpected washouts were the main concern on the first lap. Thankfully, the course was in fair shape but not entirely free from hazards. Running flat out, Brandon came up on a pool of standing water that caught him and co-driver Donny Kerr off guard. His FOX Racing Shox soaked up the hit on the suspension but the skidplate slapped the surface of the water sending it exploding into the sky and up and over the roof of the truck. Unfazed, the engine kept slurping the F&L Racing Fuel and the truck never skipped a beat. The incident produced nothing more than a good laugh and a wipe of the face shield.

Washington, DC – The California Motorized Recreation Council (CMRC), an umbrella group of the eight largest OHV access groups in California, has agreed to contract terms with the Livingston Group, LLC in Washington, DC to help stave off the expansion of the 29 Palms Marine Base. The move comes on the heels of the expected April 27th, 2012 release of a Final Environmental Impact Study (FEIS) by the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps wishes to annex approximately 160,000 acres of the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle area, which is the largest open OHV area in the United States and contributes over $70 million dollars into the economy of the surrounding High Desert communities annually.

The Marine Corps proposal would limit motorized recreation to less than one percent of the entire California Desert, a move in which the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) contends will cripple the already battered off-road manufacturing industry, and increase the likelihood of resource damage and safety concerns at the remaining OHV areas. “Our industry has continued to grow at steady pace since the late 1970s, while in that same time period we have lost 48% of the recreational opportunities in the California Desert.” Fred Wiley, the president of the Off-Road Business Association went on to say, “While we support the training needs of our military, it is a bitter pill to swallow losing such a massive piece of our public lands, considering the limited time the Marine Corps plans to utilize this portion of the desert.”

At over 550 miles in length, Best In The Desert’s TSCO “Vegas to Reno” race is certifiably “The Longest Off-Road Race in the United States.” It marks the midway point for the five-race 2011 Best In The Desert season featuring the car and truck classes and is one of the most popular events on the schedule. The challenge and adventure of competing in such a long distance “point to point” race always brings out the top off-road race teams. Not only is this going to be a big event but it’s also the 14th running of TSCO “Vegas to Reno.” This race is open to all Best In The Desert classes – cars, trucks, UTVs, quads and motorcycles and over 300 entries are expected from all across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and even South Africa. The entry list reads like a “who’s who” of the world’s foremost off-road racers.

Casey Folks, director of Best In The Desert, has worked closely with the BLM to obtain the required permits and set up a course that avoids endangered species, and does not harm the environment. The race starts near the town of Beatty, Nevada, with all classes starting off the line on Friday, August 19th. Originally part of the Bullfrog Mining District, today Beatty serves as an important gateway to Death Valley National Park, and is only 115 miles northwest from Las Vegas. The course traverses a part of the legendary Pony Express Trail made famous 148 years ago, and finishes up in Dayton, just east of Reno, Nevada. The TSCO “Vegas to Reno” race takes racers from the high desert floor at 2,500 feet elevation to mountainous heights of over 9,000 feet, forcing competitors to constantly adjust to the changing atmospheric pressures, and endure extreme hot and cold temperature variations. This course features some of the toughest, and most varied terrain in the world. Racers must fight their way through narrow canyons, boulder lined paths, bottomless silt-beds, and across expansive dry lakebeds where speeds well over 100 MPH are reached.

The weekend gets started Wednesday, August 17th, for Trick Truck and Class 1500 open class buggy racers as they qualify in the Time Trails to determine their starting positions and compete for the $1000 “Team Ford Pole Award”. Not relying simply on “the luck of the draw” for the starting order, Best In The Desert allows the two fastest classes to compete head-to-head for their chance to be first off the line and the best opportunity for the overall finishing spot.

TSCO “Vegas to Reno” marks the third race of the year for the 2011 Trick Truck Challenge. The Challenge features 23 of the world’s top Trick Truck race teams shooting for a share of the $134,000 in bonus cash and year end trophy. To date, $42,600 has been paid out for the Parker “425” and Silver State “300” top finishers.

The TSCO “Vegas to Reno” race also offers racing fans the chance to check out the action starting out with contingency on Thursday, August 18th, where they can roam through the huge manufacturer’s midway to see the race vehicles up close and rub elbows with the racers. Then on race day, spectators will be able to check out the race progress from any of the 15 pits located along the course. Most of the pits are right off US-95 with easy access. And with safety in mind, racers must obey a 25 MPH speed limit through all pits.

Red Bull will be supporting contingency at the Aliante Station Resort & Casino in North Las Vegas, and also at the finish line at the Dayton, Nevada Event Center.

TSCO “Vegas to Reno” schedule:
Thursday, August 18th – Registration, Contingency and tech inspection, Aliante Station Hotel & Casino in North Las Vegas.
Friday, August 19th – Race for all classes starts near Beatty, finishes at the Dayton Event Center.
Saturday, August 20th – Awards presentation in Reno at the Grand Sierra Resort.

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